Okay so I'm starting to learn kanjis (again, actually) and I'm wondering how I should organize my decks? Of course there are many ways with no right way and so, and that's why I'd like to know how you honored people of TheJapanesePage's community (did I go overboard? ^^,) like to build your decks for Anki, or whichever program you use.

Oh, and not only kanji decks, but vocabulary and grammar too. My current deck is only a vocabulary deck consisting of kanji(+reading) to meaning and vice versa WITHOUT sample sentences. I should have sentences, because it's better that way to get to know the word, shouldn't I? Should I have multiple sentences for some words? etc. etc. O.o

So, please tell me how you organize your decks, ways you have found to be (most) effective for you?Much appreciated (this smiley looks like a rather sarcastic laughter or something, but not the smile it's supposed to have at least, don't you think?)

I prefer "bookstore" over Anki. "Bookstore" provides a number of ways to organize and format the language, but I prefer to use a classic feature called "novel." "Novel" doesn't support isolated kanji but it comes with plenty of example sentences and lots of repetition, plus it's mobile. The spacing algorithm can be sporadic but I still find I remember the words I need. "Bookstore" is not a free program, but I've heard certain environments support a comparable open source project called "library," though I've heard "library" is apt to crash when using the in-program "note" tool.

Harisenbon wrote:Spin, I get the sarcasm, but don't really see how it relates to the OP's question....

Anki and most other SRS systems involve reading - be it single words, kanji, or full sentences - with the goal of memorizing vocabulary and grammatical patterns. I think it is better to read more and more varied Japanese with more and fuller context than to repeat the same material piecemeal. Language is repetitive by nature - we don't need an SRS - and the benefits of a natural reading experience outweigh the downsides of irregular exposure.

The OP asked how people organize decks for Anki or other programs. I answered that I don't use a software program, but I fulfill the same goals through books. The OP asked if he should have sentences and I implied I prefer paragraphs and pages. The OP asked if he should have multiple sentences per word and I think that is a non-issue with books.

Last edited by spin13 on Mon 12.07.2009 9:50 am, edited 1 time in total.

Cloze Deleted shown (KM just kanji sentence)- answer is to type out sentence and understand meaning

Not sure if it'll help you. I'm detailed in my card set-up so that I can change up how I test myself as time goes on. Currently only at 850 Grammar sentences, 2600 kanji and 3100 vocabulary. Not much considering I've been doing this for over two years. Still, the cards above are sort of evolved into that format.

The decks I use can be downloaded from Anki, except the Cloze Deletion format as I modified that after I transferred to Africa.